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Nikola Jokic: A Different Type of Unicorn

  Nikola Jokic, the center for the Denver Nuggets, has established himself as one of the best players in the NBA and a generational talent. In today's NBA, big men need to be more well-rounded than in the past in order to truly earn superstar status and Jokic epitomizes versatility. We've never seen anything like it. Jokic, who was drafted 41st overall by the Nuggets in 2014 from Serbia, has been steadily improving since his rookie season. He has transformed himself into an all-around player who can score, rebound, and pass at the highest level . His court vision and basketball IQ are elite which enables him to make precise and quick reads, which are rare for a player of his size and position. Currently in the 2022-2023 season, Jokic is averaging 25 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game. He will likely be named an All-Star for the 5th consecutive season and is currently considered a leading candidate for MVP. An MVP this year would be an unprecedented 3rd consecutiv
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2022 NBA Draft: 3 Prospects to Watch

 The end of the NBA season is always bittersweet. On one hand, we just got to see Steph Curry and the Warriors climb the mountain that not many thought they could climb again. I believed in them (check the tweets @picknscroll) and they won me a decent amount of money during their championship run this season. If I ever get the chance to interview Steph, Klay, or Draymond I'll definitely have to thank them for that. On the other hand, we'll have to survive off Woj bombs, questionable 2022-2023 projections, and debates over whether or not Kobe is still in the top 10 all time (he is) until late October.  Writing this exciting for me this year because it's the 3rd annual draft article and it's starting to become fun hitching my wagon to prospects and watching how their careers develop. Before we dive into this year's prospects, let's take a quick look at how my guys have done through 2 years. As a reminder, I am selecting the 3 prospects that I'm most interested

NBA November Check-In

NBA szn is back in full swing, it feels amazing doesn’t it? Before I get into some quick observations at the 15-ish game mark I have to mention how the rule changes have benefitted the game in an overwhelmingly positive way. I’m not one of the people that were unreasonably mad at James Harden, Trae Young, and frankly almost every other perimeter star in the NBA for baiting the refs into calling fouls which resulted in easy trips to the foul line. If you can find an advantage while working within the rules, take it. That being said, the changes have made the game an easier watch. Thus far this season it is common for a game to flow for several minutes without stoppages. That simply was not happening often the last few seasons. Basketball feels more like its being played the way it was intended to be played right now and ratings are up as a result. Bravo NBA. Do the fast break killing fouls next and we’ll see interest in the league rise even more. If you listen to The Pick & Play S

2021 NBA Draft: 3 Prospects to Watch

The NBA Draft is upon us and I’m back to give my 2nd annual players to watch list. Just like with Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman last year, I want to stay away from the clear cut top 2 picks in this draft which I believe to be Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley. I do believe that both have the potential to be high end stars in the NBA but given their current draft projections, so does everyone else. So we’re going to cover the 3 guys that interest me the most personally.   To do a quick recap of last years post, pre-draft the 3 players I was most interested in were Obi Toppin, Tyrese Haliburton, and LaMelo Ball. Haliburton went on to have a strong rookie year and LaMelo Ball won Rookie of the Year, whereas Toppin struggled with injuries and will look to get things on track in year 2. Two out of three hits isn’t bad though. Alright enough about last year, the 2021 draft class has a few prospects that have high ceiling potential and I’m hype to see who lands where. Jalen Green: At 6’

2021 1st Round NFL Mock Draft

By this point in the offseason we've all seen hundreds of mock drafts and I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm more than ready for Thursday night to kick off the 2021 NFL Draft. I've always wanted to make my own mock draft to test how accurate I can be. Some of the rationale behind these picks are based on buzz around the league but most of them are based on the team needs and player potential. There will undoubtably be trades throughout the draft but I don't have a crystal ball nor can I read minds, so I won't try to project any. Without further ado, my first round predictions: Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence QB Clemson New York Jets: Zach Wilson QB BYU San Francisco 49ers : Justin Fields QB Ohio State Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts TE Florida Cincinnati Bengals: Ja'Marr Chase WR LSU Miami Dolphins : Jaylen Waddle WR Alabama Detroit Lions: Penei Sewell OT Oregon Carolina Panthers: Rashawn Slater OT Northwestern Denver Broncos: Trey Lance QB NDSU Dalla

The Historic James Harden Trade

Blockbuster trade alert! We’ve got our first mega trade of the NBA season and as we probably expected, it involved the Houston Rockets. You’ve likely already seen the trade details before reading this but just in case, the accepted trade is being reported as follows: Nets receive James Harden   Rockets receive Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, Brooklyn’s 1 st  round picks in 2022, 2024, 2026, Milwaukee’s 2022 unprotected 1 st  round pick, Brooklyn 1 st  round pick swaps in 2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027   Pacers receive Caris Levert   Cavaliers receive Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince    James Harden pulled out all the stops to make sure that he wouldn’t be a Houston Rocket beyond this season and after months of headline grabbing antics, he finally got his wish. Harden showed up to training camp late, out of shape, and showed uncharacteristic inconsistency on the floor on his way out. His 24.8 PPG through 8 games would rank as his worst scoring season since he was coming off of the

The Pick & Play Show

  The Pick & Play Show is what you need . Our weekly episodes are insightful and entertaining banter about both the NFL & NBA. Betting advice (follow us at your own risk, we do pretty well though) is regular because we can't help but put our money where our mouths are. Give us a listen and hit us up on Twitter (Matt @Pick_N_Play37, Leo @Picknscroll) when we say something so wild that you have to argue, which is inevitable. If you like what you hear, all we ask is that you share us with a friend. You can find The Pick & Play Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Soundcloud. If you're using an app that we haven't gotten to, let me know and we'll make sure to fix that.